May
19
Dried Flower Gifts and Wholesale: Dried Lavender as Food
May 19, 2008 |
People are aware of the medicinal effects of lavender and they know pretty well what kinds of benefits it can yield out when applied as skincare products. Very few are aware of its therapeutic effect creating magic while consumed directly as food or as accompaniment. But there are indeed a few things you must remember while cooking with dried lavender.
There is different variety of lavenders. It is necessary to find out the best variety. Individual variety has its own charm in the aroma. English lavender is the sweetest smelling variety, while, the other have a slight citrus smell infused into those. It is the smell of the lavender oils that are going to create the aroma in food. So, you have to select the variety according to your choice. Lavandins, a variety of lavender has a bold smell. Their oils have a kind of camphorous and astringent effect. In case, you do not find the English lavender, go for the Lavandins provenence lavender.
A very important point about using lavender in cooking is the amount of it to be put while cooking. It is a very strong herb and an overdose of it can spoil the food. Dried lavender has a stronger smell than the fresh one. If you use one teaspoonful fresh flower in food, just settle for 1/3 teaspoonful dried flowers.
In order to keep the fragrance of dried lavender intact, it is necessary to lock its fragrance inside it and for that you need to keep those inside airtight container or packaging. You can freeze dried lavender buds in a freezer, but only after keeping those in ma zipped bag. It is better to use these dried lavenders within a year after breaking the seal of package.
Initially people used lavender only in desserts. Later on, gradually a practice of using it in other varieties of food grew. So, people started adding flavor to meat, and other dishes with lavender.
You can create lavender sugar at home. Then you will be ably to add the flavor of lavender to your food whenever you wish. Clean a coffee machine that no dust of coffee remains. Put two lavender flowers inside the machine along with 2 to 3 tablespoonful sugar. This way the essential oils of lavender mix with sugar. Remember to store this sugar in an air tight, dry container. You can flavor your wine with lavender and spice your evening up.